Film on Nanjing Massacre a Big Hit in China

The film has provoked intense reactions from the audience, and China’s Internet forums are packed with discussions about it — the popular social networking site Douban.com already carries over 1,500 audience reviews of the movie. Opinions regarding the movie, however, appear sharply divided. While many applaud it for its “unique way of story-telling” and showing “the power of truth,” others criticized it for “excessive shots of rape scenes” and “attempting to beautify the Japanese invaders.”

Thanks to nationwide promo efforts by cast members, ticket sales have exploded not only in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but in other regions as well. Moviegoers had to queue up for tickets over the past weekend.

Tickets may be sold out during prime time showings at any of Beijing’s cinemas due to the film’s unexpectedly high ticket sales.

Total sales might exceed 100 million yuan – a box office milestone in China – within a few days, according to film industry insiders.